Comprehensive and accessible, Moral Reasoning introduces students to the historical foundations of moral theory and contemporary ethics. Beginning with Aristotle, the text offers a careful, in-depth introduction to the many schools of moral thought that have contributed to Western philosophy, exploring such topics as utilitarianism, deontology, liberalism, human rights, virtue, and religious ethics. With contemporary examples incorporated throughout, this innovative new book fosters critical reflection on topical moral issues, encouraging students to develop a personal moral compass that transcends peer pressure and ideology.

Louis Groarke's profile page

Louis Groarke is Associate Professor at St Francis Xavier University, where he teaches Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Philosophy of Human Nature. He has published papers in journals such as Humanities, The Journal of Value Inquiry, The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, and The American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly. His other publications include The Good Rebel: Understanding Freedom and Morality (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2002), An Aristotelian Account of Induction: Creating Something From Nothing (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010), and co-edited with Jonathan Lavery, Literary Form, Argumentative Content and Philosophical Genre (Fairleigh Dickinson, 2010). He was recently an associate of the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria University at the University of Toronto.

"This is a refreshing and needed approach to the history of ethics that makes it a living and challenging inquiry and practice." "The motive of the work, 'to inspire students' rather than oppressing them with moral dogma, is a refreshing strength, as is the approach the author takes to do this, using classical texts in the history of philosophy as the beginning points of discourse and inquiry instead of as dead documents. Furthermore, the approach emphasizes a mainstream tradition of ethical thought based in Aristotle's virtue ethics; doing so provides a continuity to a long and varied tradition and displaces the contemporary fixation on moral rules and extreme examples." --Peter Trnka, Memorial University of Newfoundland

"The discussion of main topics is highly readable and accessible, and yet sufficient depth and rigour of discussion is offered. First-time students will find the book both accessible and yet it will challenge their thinking in a way that a good introductory text should... The author has a very extensive grasp of the subject, one which displays both philosophical insight and pedagogical experience." --David Elliott, University of Regina